Acuity Eye Group Gains 20/20 Vision Across 50 Locations

• Automated invoice processing across 50 locations; avoided hiring additional staff
• Integrated with ERP, NetSuite, to enhance accounting capabilities
• Reduced fraud with automated payee onboarding risk detection

HQ Pasadena, CA
Customer Since 2018
Industry Healthcare

Some medical groups herd you through their office. You’re rushed into a room, a gauche doctor diagnoses you before hearing your symptoms, then sends you away—never even making eye contact. At Acuity Eye Group, you’re not in a cattle call. This medical practice encourages ophthalmologists and optometrists to embrace their full potential by providing best-in-class patient care. 

To provide optimum service, Financial Controller Samantha Chi undertook the everchanging financial climate with goals to boost productivity and accelerate decision-making. Her team was focused on reducing fraud, achieving tax compliance, and improving approval controls to manage cash flow and increase profitability. But Chi was encountering an immensely manual invoice process and jarring financial fraud.

“There wasn’t an automated process that did multi-entity checks and provided a consistent vendor onboarding process. Fraud occurred frequently. We’d unintentionally pay someone completely different than whom we thought we paid.”

Each Monday, the CEO (and one of the group’s doctors) spent an hour and a half signing hundreds of checks. This complicated manual process took time away from the most valuable priority—their patients. Additionally, two AP staff were manually entering a hefty volume of invoices. They would spend days printing out hundreds of checks, transporting them, and stuffing envelopes. 

“Our business’s opticals included getting an invoice for every single frame ordered. That was hundreds of invoices on top of tons of medical supplies, lenses, and surgeries. Payments slipped through the cracks. We inadvertently paid vendors with expired accounts.”

“I wanted a payables solution that would automate accounts payable, reduce paperwork, send payments, and provide ACH capabilities to our vendors. We went with Tipalti.”

To further add operational value, Chi explored ERP solutions that integrated with Tipalti and decided to implement NetSuite to complete their digital transformation. 

“Vendors onboard through Tipalti and are verified, then they create an account. Tipalti sends payments to active vendors that provide services or products to Acuity. Doctors no longer sign off on checks—approvals are simplified via email. Plus, I can see all our invoices appear in NetSuite.” 

By handling all the ACH payments through Tipalti, Chi was able to remove the majority of their manual workflow. Furthermore, the automatic payments process eliminated the previous risk of fraud. Each payment was scheduled to the correct vendor without error.

“Tipalti automatically processes invoices for all of our entities and provides a consistent vendor onboarding program. This feature is a lifesaver—we have 12 subsidiaries and 50 locations. Now, we don’t worry about fraud.”

Now, Acuity Eye Group will be re-opening its doors to patients after a year of lockdown. 

Acuity Eye Group doctors have a clear lens on providing optimum care to their patients by improving the AP process.

“Tipalti scales with us. We’re excited to know that as we grow, Tipalti will grow with us.”